idealpeople blog

In an unprecendented turn of events, we’ve decided that part one of Richard Stockill’s of Recruitment & Selection methods was so good that you’d probably not want to wait until tomorrow to get the second installment. So here you go…..

So far we have discussed the most common selection methods, and I hope that what is becoming clear is that no method is perfect but a combination of methods does paint a much more colorful picture of you. There is one more area I want to cover: psychometric tests. I am continually surprised when people say “oh I don’t like these tests” or “I just can’t see the point”. Let’s destruct this issue and get to the route of what they do for you as a candidate and for the employer as a means of selecting the best person for the role.

Psychometric tests are dichotomized into those tests which look at current and future cognitive abilities such as general intelligence, verbal or numerical ability and self report measures which look at personality. It is important to prepare for these tests appropriately as research has shown that those who do perform much better than those who do not.

Ability tests look at your current or future skills - your ability to carry out a task. They can be carried out in the traditional pencil and paper format or online using a computer. These tests are of great value to you, so if asked say yes to carrying one out. Why? Because they have high predictive validity, this means they can very accurately predict what a person’s performance will be in a job, therefore giving you the chance to demonstrate how truly great your abilities are.

One point to note with these tests is that they should be used in conjunction with other methods. This is due to some studies into their use indicating an unfair bias to certain ethnic / cultural groups which can lead to an unfair assessment. So always pay attention to the process as a whole and consider what other methods they are using to assess your ability i.e references or interviewing.

Personality tests are the second type of Psychometric test available and are concerned with traits such as being outgoingness, agreeableness and conscientiousness. They are used by employers to answer the question of will the person fit in? What they don’t do is say how well you will do the job. From your perspective their format is usually that of a self report, so they involve you answering a series of questions either using pencil and paper or online. Whilst their validity is good they do have issues surrounding fairness for certain gender groups and faking can be a problem. Most tests now have built in honesty indicators to counter this. What all this means is that they are an important method for providing more information on what someone is likely to be like in a given role, how they will act. Again, when they are used in conjunction with their methods such as interviews or references they paint a much better picture of the candidate.

But one point to note is that Psychometric tests which focus specifically on personality are more valid and accurate at assessing personality than other methods.

I have rambled enough for now, it is a big topic and from here if you are interested the next stage is to look further into the topic.

After all, the more you know about how people are selected for roles the better position you put yourself in to get that ideal job you want. We have covered three classic methods of selection: application forms and CVs, interviews and also references. We have also discussed the use of psychometric tests for ability and personality testing. Ultimately it is all about the three Ps: Preparation - ensure you know what to expect and that you have the information you need; Practice - rehearse the scenario with friends to ensure you can highlight any points which need building on and Positive thinking - as humans we are very goal orientated. If you tell yourself that you can be successful then you will and equally if you tell yourself you will not be successful you wont.

Hopefully I have shown that no one method is perfect for selecting the right people so we need to be aware of their pitfalls and how to avoid them. Secondly I hope I have impressed the importance of understanding the process and methodologies and that with a focused effort on your part you can ensure that you succeed in securing the role you want.